Here's to the Dads!

Tony is an easy man to please which is one of the things I love about him today.  We had one of his favorite meals (although somehow Tony made it).  Brisket, BBQ beans, hashbrown casserole, and yeast rolls.  Yummy!  Parker then suggested that we dine by candelight (in the middle of the afternoon) and music.  What restaurant could top that?  Then everyone had to rest their tummies so we could head to the pool.  While Tony was taking a nap (another one of his favorite things), Macy helped me make Reese's Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies.  Tony loves anything with peanut butter.  We then headed to the pool.

 Poor Tony - the kids love the pool which is probably the last place he would pick to go.  But being the all star Dad he is that is where we spent the afternoon.

There was a reason God made her so cute - she's had a record breaking discipline weekend but why talk about the bad and ugly with all the good?  Now it's about time for family movie night with my favorite Sunday night tradition - appetizers for dinner!
Wrapping up, Happy Father's Day to my dad who is celebrating in KC. Thank you for always seeing the best in me and forgiving the worst in me.  I love you.  Happy Father's Day to Pa.  The way you love Bobbie is amazing! Finally, we're excited to wish Happy Father's Day for the first time to Tony's brother-in-law.  Caoimhe (pronounced Keeva) Joy is 8 days old today.

Happy Father's Day!

June 15, 1996

Our 15th anniversary finds Tony at Cub Scout camp functioning on 4 hours of sleep, me at home with Macy, and later on me taking the kids to the church so Tony can sleep in peace and quiet.  It's not what I had pictured 15 years ago, that's for sure...But thank you, God for the blessings I didn't dream of back then!
Both Parker and Macy are excited that they are included in tonight's candlelight dinner plans.  I'm fixing the first meal that I ever made for Tony which also happens to be in Parker and Macy's top five favorites and a Church of Christ potluck staple - Poppy Seed Chicken.  I am trying a new recipe too -blueberry snack cake.  I can just see the romantic points I am earning.  OK, no points for romance, but maybe a couple of points for showing Parker and Macy this is what a real life marriage looks like.
Now I would love to share my top 15 things I love about Tony, but Macy is almost done with her 30 minute Thomas video.  So here is what I love most about Tony today.  Tomorrow it will be something different. :)  He shows me grace daily.  I know many of you may find this hard to believe, but I can be quite crabby and self-centered.  Yet, he still loves me when I almost sever his head with my razor sharp tongue.  A long time ago, we heard a speaker compare men to microwaves and women to crock-pots.  We often tease each other and I'll tell him that my crock pot isn't even on the counter.  The other day (yes, friends it happens more often than I would like to admit to the whole world wide web), I had said something especially unkind.  Tony just looked at me and said, "You just took a hammer to my microwave and smashed it into smithereens."  I instantly laughed and made up for my mean words. That's what I mean by grace - he could have come back to me with something equally as ugly which is what I really deserved.  But he chose grace as he does day after day.  Happy Anniversary, honey!
Finally, Happy Anniversary to the Boltons!  Every anniversary, I think of you celebrating too in sweet home Alabama!

Bobbie

I've been thinking about my grandma a lot.  I grew up in a real estate office hearing everyone call my grandma by her first name so I did too.  She was a ruthless business women.  She would do anything to close a deal.  I don't say that with pride or judgement.  That is just the way she was.  7-11 was her favorite place to stop.  We would share a bag of Doritios and a Kit Kat as I rode around town with her.  When I spent the night, she would always massage my feet with lotion telling me my feet won't always be this soft and a lady has to take care of her skin.  But one of my favorite memories is of her playing Kenny Rogers on her record stereo that was actually a large piece of furniture and dancing around the room.  As I was scouting itunes for a song we sang in church on Special Sunday, Kenny came to mind.  I listened to the words and they took on a whole new meaning. 

You've got to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em...Memories are like that.  Some memories are so special that you have to hold on to them no matter what. Some memories don't deserve the space and you have to know when to fold 'em and let them go.  Bobbie is losing all her memories - those that are precious to her and those that she probably should have lost a long time ago.  I've let some of my memories go of Bobbie - that is what you do when you're family.  But there are memories that I will hold on to for the both of us.  Whenever I hear Kenny, I'll be back in her house cutting a rug. 

Summer isn't here yet....

Parker still has one more day of school & I have two.  I think we're the last ones out in the entire metro area.  But we've spent a lot of time outside.  Parker loves his water guns and so do all the neighborhood friends.  Thanks Grandmaw for getting more than one!

Macy has really enjoyed our neighbor's volleyball/limbo water toy.  The first day everyone played in it, Macy couldn't bother with a swimsuit and stripped right to her diaper in the driveway.  Then she outfitted herself with Parker's bike helmet and umbrella.  Silly girl!

We can't wait for summer vacation!!!!!!

Tornado Scare

I was just leaving for my Professional Learning Community meeting at 3:15 telling my class to be good.  Halfway down the hall, the tornado sirens go off. I spin around and sprint back to my students.  As a teacher, this is my worst nightmare - to be responsible for 22 precious babies.  I had been agonizing over the weather the whole day.  In fact, I had Tony sign Parker out early since the storms were suppose to hit around 3 and our schools don't dismiss until 4.  My students spend what seems like forever in the tornado crouch position in the hallway.  There are tears.  I sing "You are my sunshine."  We get the call that students can sit up but must stay in their tornado spots.  Four o'clock comes and goes without dismissal.  We stay in the hall.  Parents start signing out students but I still have over half my class in my care.  A second wave hits turning the skies nearly black.  The call is heard for everyone to resume the tornado emergency position including the staff.  The lights go out.  I cling to one student on my left and stretch out to hold five more.  The lights flicker and I say words of hope for I hear quiet tears.  "I am here.  I will take care of you. You will be ok."  And in my mind, I say by the grace of God.  A few moments later, we can get up.  Finally, at 5:30 we load the buses and all 22 students are safe with their parents.  Tonight, I am so very grateful that the worst we saw leaving school was broken limbs and downed trees all around.  

Hard Times

This has been a hard winter for a variety of reasons.  First, health.  I kid you not when I say Macy has not gone over a week without a fever.  We finally got to what I believe was the root of the problem - LONG story there.  Thankfully, Parker stayed healthy until a viral round and then a week and a half later, the stomach flu. A much lighter version visited Tony and Macy.  Now I am taking my Airborne and trying to mentally overcome that little twinge at the back of my throat.  Second, the demise of the housing market - a VERY long story there.  Third, every morning I enter my classroom, I am mentally playing the Rocky theme in my head.  Some years you are a fighter more than a teacher.
This past Sunday found me cuddling Macy at home as she had been sick through the night with the stomach flu.  Tony and Parker headed to church.  Thankfully, we already had the craft lined out for King's Kids, and it was one Tony was ok with.  For some reason, he has an aversion to glue and glitter.  On his way back home, Tony called to report all the things I care about - how many kids there were, who was missing, and any hiccups (aka time outs).  He then mentioned we had an appreciation gift that Jenni Reigjers had dropped off.  "Oh, really? What was it?" "I didn't open it since it was for both of us." "OK" We said our good-byes and then Macy and I got back to sitting on the blankets watching Dino Dan.  If only you could have been there when Tony got home.  Macy cheered for Bubby and Daddy.  Then Tony hands me a bag with the sweetest pictures by our King's Kids friends. After ooooooingg and awwwning over those, we read the sweetest card thanking us for working with the two and threes and then offering FREE babysitting.  Tony & I smiled and high-fived.  We were content to stop right there, but there was more. A gift card to the Melting Pot - our favorite special occasion place.  Wow!  We read some more special thank yous, unwrapped beautiful wind chimes, and came to the last card.  It was another gift card to Ruth Chris (we haven't been there since we lived in Austin - what a big treat for us).  We were so stunned that we were silenced.
 Later, I found out that 40 families made this happen with Jenni leading the way. Please know that I am not sharing this to brag.  We've just been incredibly humbled.  The timing couldn't have been more perfect or surprising.  It's been a hard winter, but with spring comes encouragement. Thank you to our incredible church family who loves us like God does!  You've lifted us up when we were weary and reminded us hard times don't last forever.

Happy Birthday, Parker!

Parker enjoyed celebrating his birthday at school!  He got to wear a crown, be the "go to guy", and share cookies with his class.  At home, he got to pick his birthday dinner menu: steak in the crockpot, volcano mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and red velvet cake.  The cake request was a big surprise.  He's never had it.  But Tony and Parker are partners in running a restaurant, and they serve a lot of red velvet cake at their place.  You have probably never been there - it's an app on Tony's phone. :) 

He couldn't wait to open presents.  Macy did a good job recognizing that today was Bubby's (as she calls him) special day and watched without helping or throwing a fit.  That doesn't sound like much to ask unless you're 2 and sometimes terrible! :)

Parker was very happy with his presents which warmed my heart.  He's always prefered toys over clothes.  But he did say a sincere thank you after each gift.  It reaffirmed our decision about the big birthday gift.  Meet our newest family member -

Parker has been asking for a hamster for two years, and we have been telling him no way for two years.  But the thought that my baby was 7 and I only had 11 years to left to make memories that would endear him to me forever caused us to visit Petsmart last Saturday.  Yes, Tony totally appreciated my reasoning and was willing to reverse 2 years of shouting no every time Parker brought it up.  What a man!  We met a lovely young lady who told us all about dwarf robo hamsters.  Here's the nitty gritty: they're the smallest of all hamsters, they are not meant to be handled (a huge plus in my book), they are the cleanest of all the hamsters so their home only needs cleaned every two weeks.  Plus, they curl into a ball the size of a cotton ball.  Too cute!  So when Parker finished opening his wrapped presents, Tony said "Doesn't he have one more?"  "You're right.  He's only opened three." I quick wittedly replied.  "Where is it?", Parker wants to know with eyes darting all over the room. "I'll give you a hint.  It's not wrapped." his generous hint giving Dad replied. "Didn't you leave it in Parker's bedroom?" his helpful mother asked.  Parker generously allowed me to run upstairs with the camera.  But I got swept away in the moment and missed the picture.  But rest assured, Parker was so surprised and excited!  I think we achieved our goal.

Now please forgive this long post, but I will close with this: Our Top 7 Parkerisms:

1)  Macy could not have a better brother.  He is so patient and affectionate with her.

2) Parker loves school.  His teacher told me this morning that he wrote his friends through the school mail system but forgot to sign his name.  The friends started asking who mailed me math problems.  Miss Moses said who loves math in our class.  They all replied Parker!

3) Parker has a tender heart.

4) Parker has the best day ever - over and over again.

5) He hides special notes for me all over my classroom.  They go like this: Dear Mommy, I miss you.  I love you. Parker  

6) Parker constantly asks for a new recipe to try.

7) He says the sweetest prayers.  You can tell he is a regular at Saturday morning prayer hour.  I hear echoes of Wole and Bose and his daddy.

Happy Birthday, Parker!  I'll keep trying to make the most of the time I have left with you!  I love you!